KARACHI, Oct 12: Expressing his grave concern over the massive earthquake that hit Pakistan on Saturday, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyed Musa Hosseini on Wednesday said that a 40-member medical team, equipped with all necessary equipment, was on its way to northern areas to set up three field-hospitals there during its 40-day stay.

Addressing a news conference at the consulate, he said that two relief consignments weighing 78 tons of goods like tents, rugs and food items, along with 21 rescue operation experts and necessary search equipment, had been dispatched so far to Pakistan. The experts, he added, were now actively engaged in the rescue and relief operations in the quake-hit areas.

Apart from that, the Red Crescent Society of Iran has opened local and foreign currency accounts for collecting financial aid from people of Iran for earthquake victims in Pakistan.

While efforts in Iran are in full swing for providing aid and relief to the quake-victims in Pakistan, the Iranian diplomatic missions in Pakistan have also been taking all necessary measures to alleviate sufferings of their Pakistani brethren and guiding the relief supplies from Iran towards the affected areas. In this regard, a relief cell has been set up at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad for planning and executing relief operations and organizing transportation of consignments from Iran to the affected areas.

Mr Hosseini said that members of the embassy, consulates general and other representative offices of Iran in Pakistan had put aside their at least one-day salary for the earthquake victims. As a gesture of solidarity and sympathy for their Pakistani brethren, they have also cancelled all their programmes, including Iftar ceremonies, so that the amount earmarked for these programmes could be used in the relief activities.

On the other hand, he said, the people and government organizations in Iran were mobilizing their resources to collect funds for the Pakistani victims of the earthquake. He said that the Iranians could not forget the help the people and the government of Pakistan had provided to the Bam earthquake victims in Iran in December 2003.